Luke Heimlich has every right to be drafted. He certainly is talented enough to be drafted. But if I were a general manager, there is no way I would select him.

Let another club take a chance on the Oregon State left-hander who pleaded guilty in 2012 to one felony charge of molesting, at age 15, his six-year-old niece.

Let another club explain the selection by saying Heimlich has paid his debt to society and — like countless others who have committed misdeeds — deserves a second chance.

With myriad other players available in the draft, which begins on Monday, let someone else talk in circles trying to sell Heimlich to his fan base.

Heimlich’s story, as recently detailed by Sports Illustrated and the New York Times, might be more complex than it appears. Heimlich, now 22, admitted to sexual contact with his niece in his plea statement to a juvenile court in Pierce County, Wash., but outside of the judicial system consistently has denied any...